A pudgy Chukar trying to look streamlined is an effort doomed to failure.
1/1000, f/9, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Several years ago I photographed this Chukar perched on a large Tintic Quartzite boulder on Antelope Island. ‘He’ had been lazily warming up in the morning sun but when he eventually decided it was time to leave the rock he preceded his exit by loosening up with a languid wing and leg stretch.
I find the pose amusing because he’s a chubby Chukar (apologies to the singer) and it looks like he’s trying to appear streamlined which for this portly species is an effort doomed to failure. When I think about it I believe this was the only time I’ve seen this particular pose from a Chukar.
1/1000, f/9, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
When he’d completed his stretching routine he walked to the edge of the rock and jumped off into the grasses below.
These Tintic Quartzite rocks so common on the north third of the island are a challenge for the photographer because they’re so very white and bright. For these photos I had to do some selective processing for exposure to bring those whites down a little. On the other hand I really like the soft and wispy bokeh of the sagebrush in the background. My lens is known for rendering pleasing bokeh.
On another subject: I bitch and moan about our ongoing drought so often I feel like I should report on our recent and extremely welcome change in the weather. Yesterday it rained lightly for the entire day, enough to give much of the Salt Lake Valley up to an inch of much needed moisture. And very early this morning it snowed for long enough to lay down about an inch of the white stuff on my deck.
Maybe this spring and early summer we’ll have some green in this desert after all.
Ron
I don’t care if they’re nonnatives — Chukars are BEAUTIFUL, aren’t they?! Love the pose here. Thanks, Ron.
Yup, they’re both beautiful and unique. Thanks, Ellen.
Hysterical! I imagine this is what I would look like right before I faceplanted!
Glad you enjoyed it, Arwen.
Yet another reason (as if I needed one) to be very fond of Chukars.
I feel for you on the drought front. As you know that is something my country is all too familiar with. For a change (but not a welcome one) we are now beset with floods. With more rain expected. Here, less than 200 miles from the floods, we need rain and despite the promises of our weather boffins are receiving little more than incontinent pigeon rain (splat, splat and it is gone). Some world wide weather moderation would be very nice.
EC, I read a long article just last night about your flooding but I had no idea you’ve been left high and dry only 200 miles away. Somewhere in-between moisture-wise would be nice…
Not quite high and dry. We are getting teasing dribbles. And, as I type I can hear a little more. Fingers crossed.
Love the chubby Chukar “speed skater” pose suggested by Kris—an Apolo Ono imitation, perhaps? Those rocks may be tough to contend with as a photographer, but they sure blend beautifully with the bokeh of both photos!
Lucky you to get rain AND snow … I’m afraid we’re missing all the wet weather in SoCal, and likely to be stuck in the drought hole for the foreseeable future. ☹️
Chris, photographically speaking the only saving grace those rocks have is their pale green lichens that help to subdue the whites and give them some texture. Geologically they’re pretty interesting though.
I see a Pointer (you know me and dogs! 🐕🐶 😂). And this cutie goes to show that bird bodies, like human bodies, come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. 💜
Glad you guys are getting some precipitation and that it’s spread out. The forecasts here tease about rain a lot, but it’s all talk.
Marty, we need this moisture so badly! All our reservoirs are pitifully empty, the Great Salt Lake is literally drying up and there’s very little snow in the mountains. Yesterday’s rain won’t help much but I’m still grateful to have it.
Brings back embarrassing memories. I played Chubby Checkers in an elementary school variety show. I’d rather have played the Chukar. The feathers would have been a much better look.
I’d like to have seen that, Lyle!
It would be hard to name him Chubby Chukar without thinking of Chubby Checker. I had a friend back in my Philly days who was a classmate of his at South Philadelphia High. Ernest Evans (real name) now is 79 years old and lives in South Carolina where he was born.
Excellent and fun photos. I imagine those very white rocks would be a challenge.
Thanks, Everett. The first time I saw some kids doing the twist in our little town of Cut Bank MT I thought the world was losing its marbles.
“Chubby Chukar” #1 reminds me of a speed–skater with arms folded
behind his waist . Truly an unusual pose to capture with this bird !
Sometimes your blog reminds me of Forrest Gump’s box of “choklits” !
Made me laugh, Kris. I guess you never know what you’ll get here.
Thanks for photos of a wonderful bird and a new word: bokeh! I like it. We have occasional quartzite boulders here in NW Massachusetts also.
Thanks, Mary. We have a lot of those boulders on the northern part of the island. Chukars really like to perch on them.
That stretch IS rather comical – must have gotten the job done since off he went even if it wasn’t an amazing take-off but a jump into the grass. 😄 They ARE some of the cutest of birds.😀
Glad you’re getting some moisture – we’re still bitching/hoping here – everything goes South of us it seems.
Judy, these guys only rarely fly off of an elevated perch – usually they just jump to the ground. So I pretty much knew what he was going to do but I still missed the jumping shot.
Hope you get some moisture soon.